The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-04-01
The Devils Lane.
ny EDGAR l.. VINCENT.

of contention between Uncle Joe Allen
and his neighbor on the west. When
the country was new Uncle Joe and
Samson Freenolder had bought ad.
iacent farms. In some way or anoth-
err they had not agreed about the
matter OF building the line fence. One
wanted the privilege OF building it in
his own way, the other would not
adopt that method; and so it came
about that they decided to build n
lane two rods wide, one-half lying one
side the line and one-half on the other
side. Each man put up n fence the
whole length OF the line, leaving that
long strip OF land that neither could
use.
With u considerable degree OF pro-
priety the lane came to he known as
1.-THE DEVILS Lane" Similar lanes
may be found in certain parts OF this
country at the present time, although
they are fast disappearing.
SO the matter stood. The two men
let each other severely alone alter the
fence was built. Ench kept up the
fence on his side of the Devils lane,
never venturing to do anything to-
wards making the land OF value to
himself or his neighbor.
Time brought gray hairs to those
good farmers, and at length Sampson
Freebooter was gathered to his fathers.
Then the farm was sold to Dick
Lamson,a wide-awake thol ough-going
young fellow who was bound to sue
coed in life. Eve ybody said so, and
what all in Springfield township agreed
upon, who could question? Uncle Joe
was not blind 10 the young mans
sterling qualities, and so it happened
that when, in the course OF time, Dick
came to court his handsome daughter
Bess, he was very much inclined to
favor his suit. 1t was not long before
it came to be well understood that
Dick was going with Bess," and that
they were going to ''get married in u
few months.
Matters were in this condition when
once upon n time Dick happened to
get to thinking about that Devils
lane. Then it stretched the whole
width OF his farm, separating him rom
his prospective father-in.law.
At that time the lane was well cal
culated to be an eyesore to any ener-
getic farmer. 1t had been allowed to
run to waste for many years. No one
had set loot on it since the fences had
been built save now and then n ven.
turesome boy hunting rabbits, for
which it furnished an excellent retreat.
For it had grown up so thickly with
shrubs. briars and weeds that it was
the next thing to impossible for any
one to force his way through it. In
such n condition it was OF no use to
the men who owned the land. 1t
looked to Dick like u sheer waste OF
property. There was u strip OF land
100 rods long and rod wide that be-
longed to him, and piece OF thesam
size which Uncle Joe ought to have
under cultivation.
Was it not poor policy to allow
that land to run wild in that way?
So it seemed to him. He knew moth.
ing about the circumstances under
which the lane had been built and posi-
bly, thought it was only by chance.
an speak to Uncle Joe about it the
next time Pm over that way" was
Dicks resolutions; and 1t was not long
before he had q chance to carry it in
to effect. The old gentleman seemed
to be in very good humor the day
Dick called on him, and the two men
sat on the fence half an hour chatting
about the crops and matters in gener-
al. Finally the young man said:
BY the way. Uncle Joe, what doyou
say TO clearing up that land between
you and me and putting good fence
on the line? That's where it belongs.
The use of that land is worth some
thing to us both"
Uncle Joe's lips closed for n moment
very tightly. Then he replied;
ats good enough for me as it ISL
Now, that meant great deal from
Uncle Joe. It meant that he had not
forgotten the strife OF almost half n
century ago with neighbor Freehold.
er. and that he had no inclination
now TO depart from the decision he
had then formed never to help build n
fence on the iine.
Dick was not slow to see that there
was something back of the farmers
remark, and he wisely said no more
abont the lane.
But as fate would have it, the Leg
stature OF the State about that time
happened to recognize the fact that
there were u number OF DEVILS lanes
inside It's boundaries; and approaching
the fact that they were but standing
monuments OF mans perversiiy. sumo
one introduced a bill Co do away with
them .nr ever. In cnee tho nnrtlna i'm